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Surrey coach Michael Di Venuto has confirmed he would be keen to sign one of Australia's banned Test stars.
Di Venuto was Australia's batting coach until 2016 and remains close to both Steve Smith and David Warner, who are serving 12-month bans from international and domestic cricket following the ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.
Cameron Bancroft, who was issued with a nine-month suspension, had his contract with Somerset ripped up following the incident, with Smith and Warner losing their lucrative IPL deals.
The trio are only permitted to play grade cricket in Australia, but their bans do not prevent them from playing in England, although it would require approval from the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).
Test allrounder Mitch Marsh was Surrey's overseas signing for the season, but he is now unavailable following ankle surgery.
South Africa opener Dean Elgar was signed by the club for April and May, leaving another overseas spot available for the second half of the season.
Australia will defend their World Cup crown in England next year followed by an attempt to win a first away Ashes series since 2001.
Neither Smith nor Warner will have played any first-class cricket before the start of the World Cup, while Bancroft's shorter ban will have afforded him limited time at the crease.
Di Venuto believes a spell in England will benefit the players and Australia.
"From an Australian perspective, it is probably important that they play a bit of cricket at some stage," Di Venuto said.
"I don't know if they are allowed to play in this competition.
"I know what it states in their sanctions that they can't play domestic cricket in Australia.
"We have got a relationship with Mitch to see how he goes with his ankle but we have got a spot we have got to fill as well.
"So, if they are in the right mental state to play cricket and the ECB will have to allow it to start with, then we'd be mad not to look at some of the world's best players potentially playing."
No problems with the Test team culture
Di Venuto also defended the culture of the Test team, and wants administrators to come under similar scrutiny to the players following the scandal that engulfed Australian cricket.
The former Tasmania opener believes the superstar pair and Bancroft have endured savage character assassination in the wake of the incident in South Africa that has led to a cultural review of the team being conducted by Cricket Australia
"I didn't think there was any cultural issues during my involvement with the Australian team," Di Venuto said.
"We had some good success with Ashes wins and the World Cup. I loved being a coach under Darren Lehmann and I love the culture he created.
"And the players loved the environment as well.
"Obviously with the events that have happened recently, all of a sudden people are blaming culture and things like that."
Di Venuto said he found the emotional press conferences of Warner, Smith and Bancroft, after they had been sent home from South Africa, difficult to watch and said the savage reaction from sections of the media was over the top.
"The events (in South Africa) weren't good for Australian cricket and disappointing and sad," he said.
"I am disappointed for all three. One, because what they did, and two because of what went on afterwards and what they've been through.
"They are quality people who I have spent a lot of time with. It was tough to watch and see them treated as criminals for something that goes on in sport.
"What they tried to do was pretty dumb.
"Pulling sandpaper out of your pocket with 40 cameras on you floating around and thinking it's not going to get picked up is not smart.
"But they have suffered enough and accepted the consequences and copped it on the chin and fair play to them.
"Now just leave them alone and let them get on with their lives."
AAP/ABC
Topics: sport, cricket, england, united-kingdom